New Public Television Special Chronicles Irish Music’s Global Impact

Premieres nationwide March 2010 on public television (check local listings)

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Grammy Award-winner Moya Brennan hosts, exclusive interviews and performances by The Chieftains, Riverdance’s Michael Flatley, U2, Pete Seeger, Sinéad O’Connor, the late Liam Clancy, and others

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Music of Ireland – Welcome Home tells the definitive story of contemporary Irish music, focusing on the Emerald Isle’s greatest musical exports, their influence on America and the music’s global impact. Hosted by Clannad’s Grammy Award-winning Moya Brennan, the performance documentary features six Grammy Award winners, Academy Award and Golden Globe winners, and three Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees. Produced by the Elevation Group’s Denny Young – an American music and television production veteran who has produced special concert events for Duran Duran, Seal, LeAnn Rimes, Counting Crows, and many others, Music of Ireland – Welcome Home premieres nationwide March 2010 on public television (check local listings). The program is a presentation of WLIW21 in association with WNET.ORG and is sponsored in part by Barnes & Noble and Tourism Ireland.

Beginning in 1960 with the Clancy Brothers, Music of Ireland – Welcome Home traces the origins of Irish music, and features exclusive interviews with U2’s Bono and Adam Clayton, Michael Flatley and Bill Whelan of Riverdance, Live Aid and Band Aid founder Bob Geldof of The Boomtown Rats, Sinéad O’Connor, Pete Seeger, The Chieftains’ Paddy Moloney, former Celtic Woman Órla Fallon, Black 47’s Larry Kirwan, six-time Academy Award-nominated director Jim Sheridan, the late Liam Clancy in his final U.S. television interview, and many other Irish musicians, scholars, journalists, and producers. Brennan, Enya’s eldest sister, conducts intimate interviews that weave a thread of connections and themes, both past and present, that link Ireland’s unique and sizeable contribution to both the music world and the creative arts – from rock to folk, country to classical, dance, film, and literature. Revealing stories include Seeger’s discovery of Irish music, Bob Dylan educating Bono on the Clancy Brothers and the McPeake family, the inspiration behind Van Morrison’s music and lyrics, Riverdance’s beginnings, and The Chieftains’ early days.

Never-before-seen performances by U2 and Friends, Clannad, The Dubliners’ John Sheahan, Paddy Moloney and Moya Brennan, the McPeake Family, and an authentic Dublin pub session combine with vintage clips of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem and The Dubliners on The Ed Sullivan Show, Judy Collins playing music from the ‘old country,’ The Pogues and Van Morrison with The Chieftains on RTE’s Late, Late Show, and Riverdance’s debut at Eurovision to illustrate the full breadth of the Irish musical spectrum. Music of Ireland – Welcome Home is directed by four-time Emmy Award-winner Philip Marshall, a former senior producer and director at THIRTEEN/WNET and current executive producer of national productions for Maryland Public Television.

“This is about a country, its people, their undeniable spirit and the amazing music that has transcended generations. There is no place like Ireland,” stated Executive Producer Denny Young. “For such a small country to produce such amazing talent and the way their music defines the people, is just extraordinary. It has fascinated me for most of my life and is something I wanted more people to be in tune with.”

“This has been an amazing journey so far,” commented Moya Brennan. “Never in my 40 years of working in the Irish music community had I totally recognized the impact we have all had on the world generally and in America specifically. And I must say, it has been a real treat to be on the other side of the camera talking to Glen, Damien, Paddy, Sinead, Bono, Adam and so many others.”

Music of Ireland – Welcome Home’s companion CD is sure to provide the soundtrack for generations of Irish music, collaboration and spirit. Produced by acclaimed producer John Reynolds (U2, Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, Björk, Dido), the companion CD features new material by Grammy Award-winners Moya Brennan, Sinéad O’Connor and The Chieftains, Academy Award-winner Glen Hansard (The Swell Season), Damien Rice, former Irish Tenor Ronan Tynan, Andrea Corr, Damien Dempsey, Shane MacGowan (The Pogues), The Hothouse Flowers, Órla Fallon, the late Liam Clancy, Paul Brady, John Sheahan, Donal Lunny and Andy Irvine, and a special track by Anúna featuring Moya Brennan and Afro Celt Sound System’s Iarla Ó Lionáird.

“We’ve made a great CD,” enthused John Reynolds. “We have several Grammy Award-winning and Academy Award-winning artists collaborating with each other to make a totally diverse and an extraordinarily special collection of musical tracks. I am honored to be involved with the project.” The Music of Ireland – Welcome Home CD and a DVD of the program bundled with an exclusive public television bonus CD will be available during public television broadcasts to viewers who make a donation in support of their local station. The exclusive public television bonus CD features Moya Brennan, Órla Fallon, Ronan Tynan, and others, and will also be available online at wliw.org/musicofireland.

“Public television audiences have had a long love affair with Irish music,” said Gillian Rose, Head of Distribution for WNET.ORG. “Music of Ireland – Welcome Home brings traditional artists like The Chieftains together with contemporary phenomena like Celtic Woman, Riverdance and U2 – one of the world’s biggest rock bands – to celebrate this country’s incredible contribution to music. Educating audiences while entertaining, that’s what we do best.”

A sequel to Music of Ireland – Welcome Home is planned for late 2010 spotlighting more recent artists including U2, Celtic Woman, The Cranberries, The Corrs, The Irish Tenors, and singer/songwriters like Glen Hansard and Damien Rice, as well as the rise of Irish music festivals and the use of Irish music in film and television. For more information, visit musicofireland.com.

A production of the Elevation Group. Executive Producer: Denny Young. Director: Philip Marshall. A presentation of WLIW21 in association with WNET.ORG. Funded in part by Barnes & Noble and Tourism Ireland.